[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 90 (Thursday, May 9, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 20529-20530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09755]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 90 / Thursday, May 9, 2019 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 20529]]


                Proclamation 9876 of May 3, 2019

                
National Hurricane Preparedness Week, 2019

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During National Hurricane Preparedness Week, I 
                encourage all Americans living in hurricane-prone areas 
                to take the measures necessary to safeguard their 
                families, homes, and businesses. As a Nation, we are 
                sadly too familiar with the destructive force of 
                hurricanes. To help prevent and mitigate hurricane-
                related harm, it is critically important that we 
                prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, which starts 
                next month.

                This September marks the 30th anniversary of Hurricane 
                Hugo, one of the strongest and most costly hurricanes 
                to hit the United States from the Atlantic Ocean. That 
                destructive storm devastated the Caribbean Islands of 
                Guadeloupe, St. Croix, and Puerto Rico before making 
                final landfall in South Carolina. The storm surge it 
                generated also caused tremendous damage.

                Hugo's destructive storm surge serves as a reminder of 
                how dangerous that aspect of a storm can be. Over the 
                last three decades, more people have died from storm 
                surges and inland flooding than from hurricane winds. 
                More than 50 people died last year after Hurricane 
                Florence shattered all-time rain and flood records in 
                the Carolinas. To address this deadly hazard, the 
                National Weather Service (NWS) recently implemented 
                alerts for impending storm surges on the gulf and east 
                coasts, where low-lying areas and coastal communities 
                are especially vulnerable.

                Our ability to track hurricanes for more timely and 
                reliable forecasts has vastly improved. Last year, 
                Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane and the 
                strongest storm ever to hit the Florida Panhandle, 
                destroyed neighborhoods, wrecked property, and altered 
                countless lives. In the lead-up to Hurricane Michael, 
                the NWS provided expert forecasting. In addition, the 
                NWS has activated services to warn citizens of 
                dangerous wind conditions when the eyewall of a 
                hurricane is moving onshore. The Extreme Wind Warning 
                signals when exceptionally strong winds are imminent, 
                alerting families to take immediate life-saving 
                actions, such as moving away from windows and finding 
                shelter in far-interior locations.

                My Administration is continuing its efforts to enhance 
                storm tracking and intensity predictions to help save 
                lives and livelihoods by giving communities adequate 
                time to prepare. We are committed to ensuring that the 
                United States will produce the best weather forecasting 
                model in the world. In 2017, I signed into law the 
                first major standalone weather-related bill in decades, 
                the bipartisan Weather Research and Forecasting 
                Innovation Act. For the past year, we have built on the 
                success of this legislation, especially through the 
                Earth Prediction Innovation Center, strongly supported 
                by the Congress and communities nationwide. This Center 
                will advance our knowledge of severe weather, such as 
                hurricanes, and increase our prediction and forecasting 
                abilities with new modeling capabilities and forecast 
                products that can protect life and property.

                Additionally, my Administration continues to prioritize 
                and invest in the mitigation actions that are crucial 
                for saving money, property, and, most importantly, 
                lives when severe storms hit. We are working with 
                communities across our country to implement plans to 
                reduce the damage caused by hurricanes and to make them 
                more resilient when they rebuild after disasters

[[Page 20530]]

                strike. It is crucial that we enhance our ability as a 
                Nation to anticipate and adapt to natural and manmade 
                disasters, disruptions, and emergencies. We must reduce 
                the effects of disaster events and the rising cost of 
                recovery.

                This week is an opportunity for everyone in areas that 
                are susceptible to hurricane-related harm to prepare 
                for these deadly storms. The Ready Campaign led by the 
                Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is available 
                online and can help you develop preparedness plans for 
                your family and business, gather supplies for your 
                emergency kit, and plan for communicating with loved 
                ones when power is out and cell towers are down. By 
                taking collective responsibility to prepare for 
                hurricanes, we help make our communities and our Nation 
                safer and more resilient.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim May 5 through May 11, 
                2019, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. I call 
                upon everyone to take action this week by making use of 
                the online resources provided by the National Weather 
                Service and FEMA to safeguard your families, homes, and 
                businesses from the dangers of hurricanes and severe 
                storms. I also call upon Federal, State, local, tribal, 
                and territorial emergency management officials to help 
                inform our communities about hurricane preparedness and 
                response in order to prevent storm damage and save 
                lives.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                third day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand 
                nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and forty-third.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2019-09755
Filed 5-8-19; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F9-P